MAELSTROM
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT-GOOD NEWS
By eleven o'clock, the whole school seemed to be out in the stands around the Quidditch pitch. Many students had binoculars.
The stands were elevated, but it was still hard to see what was going on sometimes.
Jenna, Hermione and I joined Neville, Seamus and Dean up in the top row. We did a large banner that read Potter for President and Hermione did a tricky spell so the paint flashed a different color.
The team headed out onto the pitch. I saw Harry glance up and he saw the banner we made. He looked a bit braver.
"Mount your brooms, please."
Madam Hooch said.
Harry clambered onto his Nimbus Two Thousand.
Madam Hooch gave a loud blast on her silver whistle. Fifteen brooms rose up, higher and higher into the air. They were off.
Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor, was doing the commentary.
"And the Quaffle is taken immediately by Angelina Johnson of Gryffindor—what an excellent Chaser that girl is, and rather attractive too…"
"JORDAN!"
"Sorry, Professor,"
Jenna, Hermione and I exchanged grins.
"And she's really belting along up there, a neat pass to Alicia Spinnet, a good find of Oliver Wood's, last year only a reserve—back to Johnson and—no, the Slytherins have taken the Quaffle, Slytherin Captain Marcus Flint gains the Quaffle and off he goes—Flint flying like an eagle up there—he's going to sc—no, stopped by an excellent move by Gryffindor Keeper Wood and the Gryffindors take the Quaffle…that's Chaser Katie Bell of Gryffindor there, nice dive around Flint, off up the field and—OUCH—that must've hurt, hit in the back of the head by a Bludger—Quaffle taken by the Slytherins—that's Adrian Pucey speeding off toward the goal posts, but he's blocked by a second Bludger—sent his way by Luke and Scott Davis, can't tell which, nice play by the Gryffindor Beater, anyway, and Johnson back in possession of the Quaffle, a clear field ahead and off she goes—she's really flying—dodges a speeding Bludger—the goal posts are ahead—come on now, Angelina—Keeper Bletchley dives—misses—GRYFFINDOR SCORES!"
Gryffindor cheers filled the cold air, with howls and moans from the Slytherins.
When Angelina had scored, Harry did a couple of loop-the-loops to let off his feelings. We laughed and cheered.
"Slytherin possession," Lee Jordan was saying now. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Davis' and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the—wait a moment—was that the Snitch?"
A murmur ran through the crowd as Adrian Pucey dropped the Quaffle, too busy looking over his shoulder at the flash of gold that had passed his left ear.
Harry dived downward after the streak of gold. Slytherin Seeker Terence Higgs had seen it, too. Neck and neck they hurtled toward the Snitch—all the Chasers seemed to have forgotten what they were supposed to be doing as they hung in midair to watch.
Harry was faster than Higgs. I grabbed Hermione's arm.
Harry's eyes were locked on the little round ball, wings fluttering madly, darting up ahead—he put on an extra spurt of speed—WHAM!
A roar of rage echoed from the Gryffindors below—Marcus Flint had blocked Harry on purpose, and Harry's broom spun off course, Harry holding on for dear life.
"ROTTEN PRAT!" I screamed into the roar of the shouting Gryffindors.
Madam Hooch spoke angrily to Flint and then ordered a free shot at the goal posts for Gryffindor. The Snitch vanished again.
Lee Jordan was finding it difficult not to take sides.
"So—after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating…"
"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall growled.
"I mean, after that open and revolting foul…"
"Jordan, I'm warning you!"
"All right, all right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor Seeker, which could happen to anyone, I'm sure, so a penalty to Gryffindor, taken by Spinnet, who puts it away, no trouble, and we continue to play, Gryffindor in possession."
"That was really rotten," Jenna growled.
"They should change the rules. Harry could've been knocked out of the air," I agreed.
Harry dodged another Bludger but then his broom gave a sudden, frightening lurch. I grabbed the binoculars from Hermione and put them to my eyes.
Harry was gripping the broom tightly. The broom was trying to buck him off. It began zigzagging through the air.
"Something's wrong with Harry's broom!" I whispered frightened.
"What?" Hermione asked fearfully. "Let me see."
I handed her back the binoculars.
"Eep," she squeaked out.
"Slytherin in possession—Flint with the Quaffle—passes Spinnet—passes Bell—hit hard in the face by a Bludger, hope it broke his nose—only joking, Professor—Slytherins score—oh no…"
The Slytherins were cheering. No one else seemed to notice Harry's broom behaving strangely. It was carrying him slowly higher, away from the game, jerking and twitching as it went.
Suddenly, people were pointing up at Harry all over the stands. His broom started roll over and over with him managing to hold on. Harry's broom gave a wild jerk and he was now dangling from it holding on with one hand.
Hermione screamed and grabbed onto Jenna's arm.
Without waiting, I got up and quickly made my way down out of the stands.
"Broom!" I yelled to Madam Hooch.
The team was still hovering now in shock, watching Harry.
Oliver Wood floated back down to the ground.
"Here," he said as he climbed off his broom and handed it to me.
I mounted it and took off.
The cold air whipping my hair behind me. I had a look of pure concentration on my face.
I reached Harry.
"Get on," I ordered.
He was just about to slide one leg over the back of Oliver's broom behind me when mine suddenly lurched forward. I was thrown forward onto the broom.
I heard startled cries from the Gryffindors. My broom was zigzagging now.
I glanced up. Harry managed to clamber back onto his broom.
My broom lurched out from under me but I managed to keep hold.
But suddenly, it lurched so violently that I felt my hands slipping from the broom.
I felt myself falling.
There was complete silence now. The ground was coming up to meet me when I landed on the back of someone's broom. I wrapped my arms around his midsection. Harry. He had dived after me and then he clamped a hand to his mouth as though he was about to be sick—we hit the ground on all fours—he coughed and something gold fell into his opened palm. I just rolled over onto my back and laid spread eagle, trying to catch my breath and I realized I was close to becoming road kill from falling off the broom which now hovered peacefully in the air. Oliver used the "Accio" charm and the broom came speeding back to him.
"I've got the Snitch!" Harry shouted, waving it above his head and the game ended in complete confusion.
"He didn't catch it, he nearly swallowed it," Flint was howling twenty minutes later, but it made no difference. Harry hadn't broken any rules. I heard a commotion up in the teachers stand. Snape was yelping and he looked to be on fire. He was stomping on the end of his robes.
I just laid back on the grass. I shut my eyes.
"You okay?" I heard Harry's voice ask from somewhere above me.
I slowly opened my eyes.
"Yeah," I said. "You saved me…thanks."
"No biggie," he blushed.
The game was over. Everyone began leaving the stands. The Gryffindor team landed and all gave Harry slaps on the back before heading to the locker rooms.
Hermione and Jenna rushed over.
I sat up.
Blades of grass stuck to my hair and clothes.
"What happened with Snape?" I demanded getting to my feet.
"It was him making Harry's broom act berserk," Jenna explained. "Hermione and I saw it. He wouldn't take his eyes off Harry, and then he moved it onto Mum's broom."
"That's impossible," I said dusting myself off and we headed into the castle. "Why would Snape do something like that?"
"Because he hates me," Harry muttered.
"He's bitter toward you," I said. "But he would never intentionally harm you. Someone else was doing it."
We entered the castle. Just then Madam Pomfrey came rushing at me. I didn't like the look on her face.
We froze.
"What's wrong?" I demanded not sure if I wanted the answer.
Harry had started to head toward the boys' locker room when he hesitated and waited.
"Remus is asking for you," she broke into a grin.
Relief spread over me.
I joyfully hugged Jenna and Hermione and Harry headed off to the locker room. Hermione, Jenna and I rushed to the hospital wing.
Remus was awake and sitting upright.
"Carrie!" he cried.
I threw my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"Oh, thank God you're okay!" I cried.
He hugged me back tightly too and kissed me.
I filled him on all the visions I've had and what happened just now at the Quidditch game.
"That doesn't sound like Snape at all," he mused.
He turned to Hermione.
"Are you sure you saw him?" he asked frowning.
Hermione nodded.
"It just doesn't fit him," Remus said.
"I have a feeling it's someone else doing it," I said.
"Could be," Remus nodded. "We'd best keep an eye on Harry."
Remus was set to leave a few weeks later. Christmas was coming. One morning in mid-December, Hogwarts woke to find itself buried in several feet of snow. The Davis' twins were punished for bewitching snowballs to follow Quirrell around and they would bounce off the back of his turban. The lake had frozen solid.
No one could wait for the holidays to start. Even though the Great Hall and the Gryffindor common room had roaring fires, the drafty corridors had become icy and bitter wind rattled the windows in the classrooms.
But worst was the dungeons where Snape's Potions classes were taught. Our breaths would come out in a mist before us and we had to keep close to our hot cauldrons.
"I do feel sorry," Malfoy was saying one Potions class. "For all those people that have to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas because they're not wanted at home."
He was looking directly at Harry when he was speaking. Crabbe and Goyle chuckled.
"And I feel sorry for those parents that had such a meddling, big headed little twit born into their gene pool," I said stiffly.
Hermione, Jenna and Harry snorted. Malfoy glared at me.
He went to raise his wand at me, but Professor Snape cut him off.
"What do you think you're doing?" Snape demanded coldly.
Malfoy looked startled and lowered his wand.
"Five points, Malfoy,"
Snape snapped and went around checking the potions.
Hermione, Jenna and Harry looked at me with a bemused and smug expression.
Remus was helping Professor McGonagall with the first years in Transfiguration. He felt like he could be of some use.
We were all staying at Hogwarts for Christmas.
Once the holidays arrived, we had the dormitory to ourselves. Hermione suddenly remembered something.
"I was reading something and came across a Nicholas Flamel," she said slowly. "I've read about him somewhere but can't put my finger on it."
"Flamel?" I mused. "I know that name too."
Hermione ran to the library but Flamel wasn't in Important Modern Magical Discoveries, A Study of Recent Developments in Wizardry, Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, Notable Magical Names of Our Time.
"Weird," Harry mused.
"What about your parents?" Jenna asked Hermione. "Maybe they've heard of him? It might be safe."
"Very safe, as they're both dentists," Hermione said.
Our minds quickly shifted to the holidays. We sat by the hour eating anything we could spear on a toasting fork—bread, English muffins, marshmallows—and plotting ways to get Malfoy expelled, which were fun to talk about even though they wouldn't work.
On Christmas Eve, we all eagerly sat in the common room. Harry looked as though he wasn't expecting anything, but Remus and I had conjured up gifts the night before for Jenna, Hermione and Harry.
"Merry Christmas," I said brightly.
They all sat down.
Hagrid had sent Harry a carved wooden flute that sounded like an owl when Harry blew it. A second small parcel contained a note. I leaned over.
"We've received your message and enclosed your Christmas present. From Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia," I read aloud. There was a fifty-pence piece taped to the nose.
"My Aunt and Uncle," Harry said quietly. "I'm surprised they actually sent something."
Remus gave Harry's shoulder a squeeze.
"Open the rest!" I gushed.
I had conjured Harry a sweater; it had a large H on it in emerald green. Hermione had gotten a book called Defense Against the Dark Arts: What You Need to Know And When from Remus; I had gotten Hermione a pretty little charm bracelet. Everyone seemed please with their gifts.
There was on parcel left un-opened.
Harry opened it. Something fluid and silver gray slithered o the floor.
Remus immediately raised his eyes to mine.
"Did you…?"
I shook my head.
"What is it?" Harry mused.
"An Invisibility Cloak," I whispered. "It used to belong to your father."
Harry's emerald green eyes momentarily filled with tears.
"Thank you," he whispered.
"Unfortunately, Remus and I didn't send it," I said looking confused.
"There's a note," Hermione said as she reached over and picked it up. It neat, loopy script, it read:
Your father left this in my possession before he died. It is time it was returned to you. Use it well.
A Very Merry Christmas to you.
There was no signature. Harry was staring at the cloak.
Remus leaned close.
"Could Dumbledore have anything to do with this?" he whispered as Jenna and Hermione ogled the cloak in Harry's hands.
"Maybe," I said.
My eyes slid out of focus again and I went rigid.
Harry is standing in front of a mirror…in his hand is a small amethyst colored rock. The snake-like face behind him.
"Where is the stone?" a rough, hiss like voice snarled from the matching snake-like face.
"I don't know," Harry replied.
"You lie! Kill him!" the hiss snarled.
My eyes slid back into focus and I gasped and shook myself.
"I think I know what's hidden in that trap door," I said quickly.
"What?" Harry asked looking up.
"Some kind of precious stone that someone wants badly,"